Folk metal partnership Forgotten Shrine — the creative collaboration between Josh Alexander and Sofia Frasz (Exiled Hope) — are preparing to release their debut full‑length, Nox Aeterna. A concept‑driven opus centred around two guardians who protect an ancient shrine devoted to art, creativity, and freedom, it draws inspiration from the need to preserve one's childlike sense of wonder. As darkness begins to erode the people's spirits, the shrine slowly loses its power. Nox Aeterna is scheduled to arrive on 6 November, while the new single, "Dearly Departed", has now been unveiled.

In "Dearly Departed", the lyrics explore the journey of newfound power. Following this discovery, the protagonist chooses to utilise their abilities to inflict revenge on those who have wronged them. The composition reflects the broader themes of the album as individuals succumb to the encroaching darkness and accelerate the destruction of their world rather than preserving it.

"My vocal performance was strongly inspired by 'The Violation' by Fleshgod Apocalypse, relying predominantly on cavernous, mournful, death metal-inspired harsh vocals as opposed to black metal highs", shares Sofia Frasz. "Josh took the demo I sent and reworked it into the final version, adding a ton of detail and instrumental flourishes that bring the song to life beautifully. 'Dearly Departed' is a more emotionally charged and dark song than what we are used to, which, after the release of our song 'Halo', will come as a relief to our more heavy/symphonic metal fans".

Josh Alexander adds. "It's structurally frantic, each section building on the last until it can't anymore, and rounds itself off with quite possibly the prettiest piece of music on the album in the piano outro. Sofia demoed out the entire song first, and the thing I built upon the most was the piano, which makes for a great juxtaposition to the black metal inspired guitars. I think the power of a song like this is that the listener can interject their own experience of heartbreak and resentment, ultimately culminating in a 'let the past die' moment at the end which is communicated in the strained softness of the outro".

Nox Aeterna was produced, mixed, and mastered by Joshua Dalviken. The album artwork was created by Josh Alexander and Joshua Dalviken, while the cover art for "Dearly Departed" was crafted by Josh Alexander and Tricia Alexander. Link

Forgotten Shrine - Nox Aeterna

Nox Aeterna tracklist:
01. Where Shadows Lie (Reforged)
02. Terror! At The Ballroom
03. Loch Lomond
04. Gods Of War
05. Wander So Far
06. Nox Aeterna
07. Dearly Departed
08. Halo
09. The Parting Glass (Reforged)
10. End Of The Dream
11. Where Shadows Lie (Reforged Instrumental)